God, I am just too busy. Too many people, too many questions, too much to do. We confess we stay busy because we fear acknowledging our emptiness. How amid this busyness do we rest? How do we worship you? Please create space, which may be other people, to make time, our time, serve you. Force us to rest through the activity of prayer so that all our loves and fears might be made perfect in you. Help s see how such busy service, if it is service, may be just the rest we need – just the worship we need....

We have a corporate prayer meeting at the Shiloh Church that meets every Saturday before the 1st Sunday. It is a great time of supplication and intercession. I often prepare a prayer guide for these meetings, so help guide our times of prayer. Here is the prayer guide from last week: • Pray for Haiti. - Pray for President René Préval and the entire government of Haiti. - Pray that the suffering and grieving people of Haiti will receive the aid they need. - Pray for the salvation of the Haitian people who have not trusted Jesus as their Savior...

Sovereign God, Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart, and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom To set up thy kingdom in every place where Satan reigns; Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice, for to bring honor to thy name is my sole desire. I adore thee that thou art God, and long that others should know it, feel it, and rejoice in it. O that all men might love and praise thee, that thou mightest have all the glory from the intelligent world!Let sinners be brought to thee for thy dear name! To the eye of reason...

This morning, we had our first Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting at SMBC. Each month, the Saturday before the first Sunday, we will spend an hour in prayer together as a church. Our focus will be on spiritual, kingdom, eternal matters, more than personal requests. We will beseech the Lord God that his name would be hallowed, his kingdom would come, and his will would be done on earth as in heaven. May the Lord smile on these times of corporate prayer. Here is the prayer guide from this morning's meeting: • Pray that we would receive a higher view of God...

Last week, I taught a lesson on fasting in preparation for an upcoming church-wide fast in observance of Good Friday. But there was something I failed to discuss in detail, either in the presentation of the lesson or the manuscript I prepared. It is a common and practical question many people have about fasting: Can I tell anyone that I am fasting? This question is raised in light of Matthew 6:16-18: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you,...

There are two primary reasons why you ought to pray. The first is obedience to duty. That is, we should pray because the word of God commands us to pray. Period. The second reason why you should pray is more pragmatic: Prayer works! God answers prayer. It pleases God to meet the needs of his children through the means of believing prayer. But while answered prayer is one of the great motivations to pray; unanswered prayer can discourage your prayer life. If your prayers are not being answered the way you desire, I recommend that you do two things. You...

Blessed Spirit of God, Four evils attend my ministry - The devil treads me down by discouragement and shame    arising from coldness in private meditation. Carelessness possesses me from natural dullness and dimness of spirit;     because in the past I have met with success        and have been highly regarded,     so that it does not matter if I have now failed.Infirmities and weakness are mine    from want of spiritual light, life and power,     so that souls have not been helped,     and I have not felt thee to be near. Lack of success has followed even when...

O My Lord, Let not my ministry be approved only by men, Or merely win the esteem and affections of people; But do the work of grace in their hearts,     call in thy elect,     seal and edify the regenerate ones,     and command eternal blessings on their souls. Save me from self-opinion and self-seeking; Water the hearts of those who hear thy Word,      that seed sown in weakness may be raised in power; Cause me and those who hear me     to behold thee here in the light of special faith,     and hereafter in the blaze...

One of the discussion questions in our small group meeting tonight was, "What difference does prayer make in your life?" One sister answered, simply, "It's the difference between a good day and a bad day." She explained that prayer makes all the difference in her day, even though it may not change the details of the day. Prayer makes the difference in how I respond to the circumstances of my day, she said. This dear sister was absolutely right. Indeed, there are times when God responds to our prayers by direct, divine intervention that changes things in our lives in...

Prayerless people cut themselves off from God’s prevailing power, and the frequent result is the familiar feeling of being overwhelmed, overrun, beaten down, pushed around, defeated. Surprising numbers of people are willing to settle for lives like that. Don’t be one of them. Nobody has to live like that. Prayer is the key to unlocking God’s prevailing power in your life. – Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, p. 16 Last night, I began a new summer small-group. We will spend the next eight weeks reading and discussing Too Busy Not To Pray by Bill Hybels. Our Sunday School...